Handprints
by Mainli
Summary: Though many things have changed, the handprints in the garden, made by Lan Fan and Ling, have not.


**Many thanks to my wonderful betas from tumblr, ****_girlfromlaer _****and ****_brainywords_****. This is just a short drabble, but I hope that it is enjoyed! The prompt, "Lingfan: Handprint", was from anonymous on tumblr. **

* * *

Ling held out his hand, closing it lightly over the young guard in training's. "Lan Fan!" he said, his face clearly converying he had an idea of some sort. Hopefully it wasn't something that involved getting in trouble.

It probably was.

"Yes, young Lord?" Lan Fan said. She stood up immediately, her eyes going to the grass she had been seated on moments before. Ling's hand was warm in hers, and she tried not to think of it.

"We're going to make handprints," Ling said with a little grin, his face shaded by the pagoda tree behind them.

Lan Fan furrowed her brow. "Young Lord?"

"They are putting a pathway in the west gardens," Ling said. "And you know what that means!"

"No, young Lord, I'm afraid I don't," Lan Fan said.

"We need to put our handprints there!" Ling explained, pulling her along as he started to walk.

"Why?" Lan Fan said slowly. She had heard of people doing that, but was there a point? It was silly.

"Because. It's silly and fun," Ling said, grinning at her again. He did have a nice grin. She lowered her head. She shouldn't even be thinking of him in any way other than her job, her prince-not a friend.

"Oh," Lan Fan said, letting him pull her towards the gardens. Workers were pouring cement into a line of round, shallow holes.

Ling knelt towards one, holding his hand experimentally over it. "See...we jus-"

"...Young Lord?" Ling looked up, and into the face of the head gardener who watching the procedure.

"Yes, Ryo?" he said with a little smile.

"If...young Lord is going to do that...could you use one of the other stones? One more hidden?" Ryo ventured, not that hesitantly, but still carefully.

"Of course, Ryo! Where?"

Ryo smiled. "Perhaps over there. There are some stones around those hedges there, just for decoration. You can use one," he said, pointing in the direction.

"Thank you, Ryo!" Ling beamed, pulling Lan Fan gently to her feet, and after glancing at her, started off at slow run. Lan Fan followed along fairly happily, though she still didn't get why he was so excited about a handprint.

Ling slowed down, reaching the hedges. He knelt down again, and Lan Fan sank next to him. She watched him expectantly and he turned to her, still holding her hand. "Shall we?"

Lan Fan nodded quietly, still keeping her eyes down. Ling squeezed her hand, and lowered them into the cement. The two hands overlapped each other, and the prints soon hardened together into stone.

* * *

"Lan Fan," Ling said softly, his head turned towards the grass. "...would you come with me to look at something?" It had been a week since they returned from Ametris, and they still had the weary look of people who had fought, and traveled a long way. They may have won the fight with the Homunculus, and gained the philosopher's stone, but they had also lost much.

"Of course, Young Master," she said, looking down at him. He smiled softly, and stood up. Despite the smile, his face wasn't as carefree as once had been.

Neither of them said anything, and as they drew closer, Lan Fan suddenly knew exactly where they were going. She took the lead of the walk, though she didn't leave the side of the prince.

"Here we are, Lan Fan," Ling said, saying her name softer than the rest of the words. "Do you remember?"

It wasn't a question, but more of a statement. He knew she did.

"Yes, young Prince," she said, kneeling down next to the stone. He joined her in a moment, and they didn't speak for the longest time. The silence stretched into something soft and sad-thoughts of comrades, friends, and grandfathers lost.

"Lan Fan?"

"Yes, young Lord?"

"Our handprints...Lan Fan...they blended together."

"I know, young Lord."

"It's a little like a oath, isn't it?"

"...Yes, young Lord."


End file.
